Moonlight Shadows
by silverfox09
Summary: Sheena has been selected as the Emissionary of Peace, but when Meltokio is attacked, is the world ready for it? Sheelos, eventually.
1. Chapter 1

I've been working on this story off and on for a couple weeks now, and I've finally finished Chapter one. I'll try and update once a week, but I'm usually really busy so we'll see how that goes.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters... Obviously.

* * *

It was yet another rainy afternoon, and just as she had set the precedent so many years ago, the bleak weather merited for a series of intense training drills and a warm mug of whatever liquid containing chocolate was available. The latter of her peculiar ritual however, was somewhat hindered due to the fact that Mizuho was and had been lacking supplies for a long period of time, and as the Chief, it would eventually be her responsibility to make sure that the village was supplied with its neccesities. 

She had other orders of business to attend to, that in her opinion, were slightly more important then the stock of sugar-filled liquids, and as she tediously labored over the mounds of paper work that had been acquired over the past week and a half, she couldn't help but heave a relentless sigh. For the first time in almost too long, the village was collecting enough information from every nook and cranny to last a lifetime.

Mindlessly opening envelopes filled with documents, a sharp rap at her door brought her to attention. Glaring at whomever may have distracted her from her work, but overly pleased with the distraction itself, Sheena watched as a drenched Orochi trudged into the room carrying yet another envelope.

"May I ask what good fortune brings you here with another bit of paperwork?" She said sarcastically, drumming her nimble fingers on the desk as he placed his package beside her. Much to her surprise, it had remained intact, despite the current conditions that would've typically prevented it to do so.

Orochi smiled. "You'll be happy to find that it's not a report, although, I'm not quite sure whether you'll find this a blessing or a curse."

"It couldn't possibly be that bad."

"It isn't, yet, I figured that after the journey you just returned from, recieving such news would be, well-" He cleared his throat as he searched for a better word. "Exhausting, perhaps?"

By that time she had recieved the letter hidden inside, and with disbelieving eyes, carefully skimmed its contents.

"The emissionary of peace?" She questioned, casting a quizzical look in Orochi's direction. She found him to be blankly staring out the window, yet he nodded in response. "It says here I'm requested to be at a banquet in Meltokio tomorrow. Aren't they being slightly unreasonable?"

He responded with a simple shrug, causing her to release an exasperated sigh. It wasn't as if the position itself would be burdensome, in fact, after every other ordeal she had endured, it seemed that becoming an emissionary would be a lifestyle of constant travel and frequent nights spent in luxiourious hotels; something she could easily adapt to, if not quickly become unamused. If anything, it would be better then sitting at a desk and mentally recording reports.

Weighing the advantages and disadvantages in her mind left her speechless, and Orochi stood silently in the room, listening to the droning rain as a substitution for the conversation they had previously been having. With a touch of reluctance, Sheena stood up, stretching out her stiff limbs, and began to slowly pace the room.

"I'm assuming you're going to accept then?" He said finally, after she had crossed the room several times. She looked up at him and nodded.

"If it will be helping everybody, I can bare with it, even if it's the same thing over and over. At least I'll get to get away from Mizuho and all of this," she pointed placidly at the desk, "...for awhile. It's not like anything interesting's happening here anyway."

"It may not be wise to leave so quickly after you've become chief; the villagers will be wondering what's happened that could tear their chief away so soon, especially since they think the lands have found peace."

"If they ask, explain the situation." The lush landscape outside of the hut was enlightened by a bright flash of lightning, followed by a peal of thunder. "You know I can't sit here and do nothing Orochi." He nodded with a slight smirk.

"I'll prepare a rheaird for you."

Soaked to the bone after several minutes of frantic scrambling between the huts in a desperate attempt to rally what few possesions she would need for the next week, she was overly pleased when she found herself soaring gracefully through the air. The weather was as if someone had stirred dirt from the ground and a handful of clouds together; the entire horizon was a dark gray, with pelting water droplets and a series of foreboding flashes of lightning in the distance. She found herself occasionly wondering what should happen if she were to be struck down by one of the godly bolts, but eventually concluded that the worst of the storm was far from herself and her beaten down rheaird.

Without poor visibility and the ever-present threat of lightning, she landed at a small grove of trees early in the evening and decided to resume in the morning. Once she arrived at the city, she would hopefully have enough time to wash off, as well as adorn a clean set of clothes; or at least something precentable before the nobility of Meltokio.

Although she found herself drifting into a light sleep, her instincts eventually got the better of her as she shifted herself into a position that would allow her to catch an unaware enemy by surprise. Akward sounds came from within the darkness of the woods several times throughout the night, and instinctively her muscles tightned like a coiled spring, waiting for the moment they could be released in an outburst of energy. It was only several minutes after each noise that she slowly began to calm down, never completly letting up her guard.

Hours later when the rain halted and the sun graced the sky with its presence, Sheena wearily stood up from her evening position, brushing off her mud stained clothes. With a night of no sleep behind her and another of lavish decorations and detail ahead of her, she dread the planned evening ahead of her; it would take whatever she had in her to tolerate the conceited people that Meltokio's banquets seemed to flock together.

The rest of her ride was strictly uneventful; the rain had given the landscape a healthy look, and she found herself enjoying the scenery that sprawled out beneath her. Meltokio soon came within her sight, and minutes later, she found herself happily striding in the guarded gates of the imperial city.

It was just as she had always remembered it to be, from the time of her training to her frequent visits as a part of the regeneration group; the cobblestone paths were lined with people, all of them so caught up in what they were doing they almost never saw the poverty that lied within their own communities. Owners of shops had their doors swung open, trying to catch a glimpse of the fresh air from behind the counter, as well as try to interest passerbys in their variety of goods.

In an attempt not to run into trouble with any upperclass members of society (Zelos called them his 'hunnies', and although she hated the word it was a better choice than the one's she would use to describe them herself), Sheena avoided the main streets, making her way through bustling crowds of people to arrive at the inn. Recieving several looks of distaste from the occupants of the lobby, she hurriedly rented a room, slid the inn keeper his gald, and entered her room.

Sheena found it to be much later than she had thought, and in a flurry of activity, prepared for the banquet. Slipping into her formal wear from previous occasions such as this, she found herself suddenly feeling uneasy about the entire situation. She knew that she was nervous, but the uncertainty that she held was almost completly different, making her feel as if something was stalking her in every shadow of Meltokio. In a final attempt to quell the strange feeling, she tucked a set of cards away, making sure they were within a moment's reach but also unnoticable to the human eye. Anxiously, she left the inn and headed for castle.

* * *

The doorman waved his hand in an indifferent manner as he spotted her name on the list, gesturing her through to the hall. Ornate chandiliers, exquisite mahogany tables, and lavish furnishings were placed in assorted areas throughout the room, each expensive article adding an addition to the muggy room. With so many people close together, it was a wonder that the nobles weren't dripping with sweat, however, Sheena sarcastically decided they had long ago become immune to the overbearing heat and lack of personal space. 

Bumping her way through the mass of people, she glanced over the crowds, searching for a familiar face among all of the strangers. She was only too pleased with herself when she found the King, chatting nonchalantly as he sipped a drink from a nearby counter.

"Ah, Miss Fujibayashi, I'm glad you were able to make it tonight. I was concerned that no one would be interested in the position, however, it seems that the Chosen has a certain quality for picking the right people." He took a quick sip of his drink. "If you don't mind, I'd be happy to inform you of the details of the position later tonight or in the morning, but if you'll excuse me, I need to attend to other business."

He stepped off into the center of the room, leaving her alone at the counter and with a glance in his direction, she sighed. He was a nice man and an excellent leader, but he often spoke for others, talking too much and allowing his company to say very little. Turning towards the door, she suddenly saw the face of Zelos Wilder among a group of noble women, all playfully flirting with him as he glanced her direction. Whatever he had said to them after was inaudible to Sheena over the din of the conversation around her, however, in less than a few short seconds he was standing next to her, his cerilian eyes shining.

"Hey there Sheena. Couldn't get enough of me and just had to come back to Meltokio for a visit?" His tone wanted to make her slap him with all the strength she could muster, but with almost every set of eyes in the room on them, she substituted it with a sharp glare. His teasing smile quickly faded, and with a quieter, sincere voice he added, "It's good to see you though."

"You too." She quietly stammered out. Their relationship had never been perfect, but she knew that between all of the slaps, jokes, and rude remarks about her body that they shared an unusual friendship. Although sometimes akward, she knew that he was a good person when it came down to it.

The entire hall silenced almost instantaneously, and each person found their respective seat within seconds. Sheena found herself sitting next to the red-haired chosen, and as a result, receiving several death glances from various points around the table. The king stood at the front of the hall, drink still in hand, prepared to give a speech to the audience before him.

"Welcome, one and all," He began, looking around the hall as the nobles idly carried on conversation around him. "I would like to begin by saying--"

A large explosion erupted from somewhere outside, and with a glance out the window, Sheena saw several buildings in flames, illuminating the streets and pathways. Shouts were heard from outside, and in a panic, people began to escape out every possible exit. Cards in hand, she noticed that Zelos had concealed a sword underneath his formal attire as well, and with a quick glance between them, they rushed outside, hoping to help in whatever situation could've arose.

It was difficult to figure out where the attackers may have been. As people dashed between the flaming buildings, debris fell from the sky, and the clamour of swords was distant and echoed throughout the walls of the city. Shouts and screams were numerous, yet as they finally reached the gateway, they found the majority of the battle.

Armor-clad and bearing numerous weapons, the kings guard and the papal knights boldly fought off whatever the opposition was. Sheena and Zelos instantly joined in the fray, carefully calculating their moves to avoid being injured by their enemies. With each slash of her cards and each sight of her fallen foes, she felt as if the tide of the battle was drifting in their favor. For the first time however, she noticed the attackers for what they really were, and found that she had absolutly no idea what they were up against.

Black and shadow-like, the creatures moved with an effective grace that rivaled the best. Their bodies and limbs seemed to be made of tiny black particles, all giving off a ominous, purple glow, that despite how many times she had tried to annul, never seemed to completly fade away. With each swipe, she realized that her opponents were just reforming themselves, never actually dying, and never being defeated.

The realization resulted in a brief pause in her fighting, allowing an enemy to swing their dark blade at her. Caught off guard, she side-stepped and dodged the attack, but consequently found that an arrow had pierced her shoulder. Much to her advantage, she realized that a guard had taken her place as she backed away, and hastily pulled out the arrow with a grunt of pain. Ignoring the open wound, she jumped back into the fight for several minutes when a hand touched her shoulder.

Almost striking the person down, she whipped her head around and saw Zelos standing next to her, sword in hand and out of breath. Over the roar, he shouted something about getting whatever she had at the inn, but whatever it was was lost as she defended herself for another few minutes. Eventually, he found her again, and motioning away from the fray, they slipped away.

"We need to get out of here." He said in between breaths of air. "There's no way that we're going to be able to hold them off for much longer."

"We have to try." She turned around and headed back, but he grabbed her shoulder, and for the first time realized that she was bleeding. "It's not right to leave them there fighting when we could've helped them."

"They don't die Sheena. You saw it too, I know you did, and we're both going to be no help if we die now, and here. We might have enough time to get some things together, but we need to get out of here as fast as we can."

Hesitantly, she shook her head. "I can't just leave them there."

"What room are you staying in?"

"The first one on the left after the stairs... Why?"

"I'll meet you at the gates in ten minutes."

* * *

Sprinting through the streets, Zelos found the inn to be partly intact, despite the fact that flames illuminated the entire interior of the building and smoke spewed out of the open windows and burning walls. Without thinking, or at the most, not thinking of his own general safety, he took the steps two at a time until he reached her door, smoke filling the hallway causing him to choke vehemently. Finding the door to be locked, he charged into the door, splintering the wood and forcing him onto the floor of the room. Hurridly, he scrambled around collecting whatever she had had in her haversack, making sure that most of it was intact, then exited on his hands and knees. 

As soon as he reached the stair case he realized that the fire had eaten away most of the support that it held, making it an unusable method of escape from the building. Unable to think of a better option however, he stood up, choked on a lung full of smoke, and made his way down, listening to the boards shift and crack under his weight. The lobby was completly on fire now, and with the door in sight, he burst through a patch of flames, making his own path to the exit. Heat surrounded him, and for a moment, it felt as if his entire body was being destroyed as he made his way through the door way.

His first gulp of fresh air was a relief, and he quickly checked to make sure none of his apendages were burning. He was relieved to find that his hair was intact for the most part, and without a second to spare, he resumed his course to his own mansion.

Much to his relief, the assault had not yet reached that half of town, and although it was unbearably close, he had just enough time to warn Sebastion and collect a spare change of clothes for himself as well as a few other basic necesseties. Upon reaching his living room, he found that his faithful butler had stuck to his advice and had fled. Taking a moment to survey the room for anything he may have missed, he heard the breaking of glass, followed by a fireball that flew through a large window that had always provided an excellent view. He watched in dismay as the room around him began to burn, and then he left back into the streets.

* * *

Knights were falling one by one around her, exhausted from the ceaseless fighting and letting their guard slip for a split second, giving the oncomers an open opporitunity to kill. She tried to save as many as she could, knowing that each was person was a life; something that wasn't meant to be wasted in a mindless battle that had suddenly raged itself upon the city. Her attempts became increasingly desperate however, as she found her own fatigue set upon herself from the night before and the loss of blood. 

There were only a few remaining when Zelos arrived, haversack over each shoulder and face dark, stained with soot, smoke, and burns. He shouted for her to run, yet she couldn't pull herself to do it. When he reached her, he grabbed her by the arm, dragging her out of the city, straight through the army of shadows that encompassed the walls. He eventually let go, setting the pace, and without a look behind her, they continued to run, trying to put as much distance between themselves and whatever had been at the city.

The burning remains lit up the sky, giving the night a bright appearance, and making it seem as if it were dawn or dusk. Sheena stole a glance behind her and saw the city as if it were only twenty feet away, shining in the horizon.

They didn't slow until they were both positive that nothing had followed them, and although they were out of breath and weary, the desperatly trudged on until day broke. It was then for the first time that they rested, leaning up against one of the numerous trees that were scattered about the area. Sheena longed to sleep; she had been awake for almost two days straight, as well as traveled in the rain, fought a battle, and ran what would be a considerable distance for anyone traveling by caravan.

Silently, Zelos handed her her own pack, and she took the opporitunity to walk a large clump of vegetation nearly fifty feet away to get out of her dress and change into what she was accustomed to wearing. The fresh clothes made her feel clean, despite the soot she could feel in her face and hair. When she went back, she saw that he had taken the same initiative, and for the first time she realized he looked nearly as bad as she felt.

"Your shoulder," He began to say what she had already knew, and she quickly interrupted him.

"It's fine."

"At least let me heal it." His face held a serious expression, and she knew that he had no intention of trying anything besides what he said he would do. Habit alone however, made her skeptical.

"Just don't try anything funny."

As he placed a hand on her shoulder she winced, quickly covering it up to make sure he didn't see it. His face was masked with strict concentration, and moments later she felt as if her skin was crawling together, itching as it formed itself back together and closing the wound. When he opened his eyes again she saw that he was tired, yet he held up as if he had just awoken from an excellent night of rest.

"There's an abby nearby." She muttered, and he nodded, motioning off into the distance. Although neither of them wanted to traverse any further, they knew that they would be safest inside closed walls. They marched with as much energy as they had remaining, pacing themselves so they wouldn't collapse from exhaustion. They talked for brief periods of time, each conversation ending in a silence that inhabited the majority of their journey.

Around mid-afternoon the stone building appeared on the horizon, and with a flood of relief, Sheena felt a new bounce to her step. Zelos felt the same, for nearly an hour later the arrived at the door and happily bounded inside.

Two steps inside however, and they realized that something was wrong; guards stood inside the building standing stiffly as they took another step in. Sheena and Zelos froze, their excitement fading into dread.

"Zelos Wilder and Sheena Fujibayashi, we have been sent to retrieve you and take you to Sybak, where you shall be put on the trial and the punishment of your actions shall be decided. You have no choice but to come with us immediatly, and if you resist, we do have orders to capture you."

Confused, Sheena started to talk, but Zelos had already began.

"I don't underdstand," He started, looking around at all of the guards that filled the room, "What did we do?"

The guard laughed. "What did you do? All of Meltokio has burned down because of you, and countless have been killed. My question to you is how you accomplished all of that." Sheena glanced at Zelos, as surprised as he was by the claim.

* * *

Silverfox09: That's about it for chapter one. I'm really proud of how this turned out actually.Like I said, this is a multi-chapter fic, and I'm going to try really hard to write another chapter each week.Like it? Hate it? Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the long update; I've really got no excuse. I hope you enjoy this chapter anyways.

* * *

Eyes wide with disbelief, Sheena was too startled to talk. The guard noticed her facial expression, causing him to flash a brief grin as he continued to formally address the pair.

"It is required that you two come as soon as possible. My orders were very clear, and I am strictly a man of duty." Slowly moving his hand towards the hilt of his sword he added, "Which will you two be? The criminals who come by will, or the one's who put up a fight and demand a chase in which I have to hunt you down?"

From behind them, she heard the light fall of footsteps, and in what sounded like one fluent motion, two guards roughly grabbed her arms and forced them behind her back, rapidly tying them together with a heavy cord of rope. Still astounded, she deliberately allowed them to bond her wrists together, putting up no resistance as they forced her and Zelos out the door, and into a dark caravan. With a slam, a shaggy haired man closed the door and a small click signaled the locking of their only means of escape.

Momentarily speechless, Sheena listened as she heard the men mount their horses, the leader shouting rough directions. In a few brief seconds, the group was off, the wagon bouncing on the dusty road. With each jostling bump in the road, Sheena heard the wood creak and groan from underneath her.

"Well, things could be worse." Zelos mused after several minutes of the uncomfortable ride. "I could be in the dark by myself. It's a good thing I have one of my favorite hunnies with me."

"I swear to god Zelos, if you try anything..."

"It was a joke... You need to learn how to lighten up."

She sat in silence, staring blankly into the darkness and pondering what he had just said. Slowly, she began to wonder if there was any method they could escape from the aged wooden cage they were currently trapped in, and eventually, as her arms began to become sore from their awkward position, she absentmindedly began working with the stubbornly tied ropes.

It wasn't long after she had started when he spoke again, breaking her concentration and causing her to mutter an inaudible curse under her breath.

"You don't need to go and ignore me now Sheena. Just because we're stuck in the dark together doesn't mean we can't talk or anything... Wouldn't it be nice just to have a regular conversation? We could talk about the weather, which is kind of a bad topic considering we can't really see outside, but maybe we could talk about something... Anything really, it doesn't matter. We could talk about what we did last week, or maybe last month, or--"

"Zelos, will you just shut up for a minute?" It sounded a lot worse then she had intended it to, but he instantly quieted down, and with her nimble fingers rapidly untying knots, she just as quickly slid the rope off her hands and onto the floor. Rubbing her sore wrists she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, mind reeling with ideas.

"We need to get out of here." She said quietly, making sure that none of the guards could over hear her. Sheena imagined that he nodded, but with the darkness that surrounded them, she wasn't quite sure. It made an awkward silence, and as Sheena became lost in her own thoughts, she began to wonder what was to happen to them if they arrived in Sybak. Her first assumption was that, as the man who had captured them said, they would be put on trial, although she figured it would be anything but fair, and no matter how much evidence there could possibly be that the two were innocent, it was in all likelihood that they'd be condemned guilty. If Meltokio hadn't burned down, they'd probably be sent to the prison there, where they'd have the opportunity to fight in the coliseum until they faced death. The other option was undoubtedly immediate execution.

With a shudder, she stood up from her sitting position, stretching out her stiff limbs and trying to erase the morbid train of thought that had descended upon her, she began to pace the length of the cart. A sharp jounce however, sent her ungracefully to the floor, and moments later she overheard the guards scrambling off their horses and noisily digging through their packs for something.

Crawling on the floor, she desperately searched for the rope she had struggled out of and had no later tied it loosely back on when the yet another guard opened the door and slid in two plates of food. Taking the initiative to push the platters towards them, the man chuckled.

"Good luck tryin' to eat in the dark."

The door slammed shut once again, and the cart begin to move, undoubtedly tossing whatever creation they had prepared for them onto the floor. She undid her bonds, and crawled over to the red-haired chosen, attempting to remember his previous location. It was as good as a try as any; he was leaning against the wall in the same position he had been before, heavily breathing as if trying to ignore whatever pain he was in and get a moment of rest.

He must've heard her coming, for when she reached out for his hands he released a tiny smirk.

"What took you so long, hunny? You could've just come over here earlier." He said, and even with her eyes unaccustomed to the darkness, she slapped him hard across the face. Surprised by the sudden infliction upon his handsome features, he quickly added, "...I guess your hands are untied then... Any chance you can undo mine?"

"Well," She began, hurriedly untying the knots to avoid any further comments, "That was what I was planning on doing... If you get any ideas into your head about right now, I'll make sure you regret them later."

With a deep exhale of breath, he tenderly massaged his wrists. "I'm assuming we're on or near the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge," He stated, and if his eyes could penetrate the lightless environment, he would've seen a blank expression cross her face. He sensed it even with the distracting darkness, and continued. "Think for a minute. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the traffic crossing over it... Now anyways, this would probably be best once we get over, but..."

* * *

Oanga grimaced as the gigantic piece of architecture came into sight, watching carefully as the wagon bounced along on the dirt path. Ahead of him, his leaders rode on their horses, leaving him with the duty of holding up the rear end of the traveling party. Although he wasn't quite sure to how the two captured criminals had been involved in Meltokio's demise, it was of enough importance to send almost a third of Sybak's army to capture them.

The two themselves made an odd enough pair; he recognized the man as the former chosen of mana, and although he had seen him carousing the streets with numerous women, his eyes had never graced upon the one that sat bound in the caravan with him. He easily admitted to himself that she was a pretty one; it was too bad they hadn't met under different circumstances.

Another loud sound from inside the wagon caused him to jolt back to his senses, and he realized that strange noises had been emitting from the vehicle within the last hour. Dismissing the uneasy feeling, he nodded to the border guard as his horse carefully trotted onto the pavement of the bridge. Despite the perfect weather conditions, the sea tossed ominously below him, and the sick feeling settled regretfully into his stomach. With a clenched fist hard around the rein, he continually glanced over his shoulder and almost fell directly off his horse when his commander asked him a question.

"Once we get over the bridge, be sure to give them some water; there's no use in letting them get dehydrated." Resolution meddled with the commanding tone, and it almost lurched Oanga's stomach to a point that would've made him ill. Something foreboding lurked in the corner of his mind, and the thumping sound emitted once again from the cart behind him. The rest of the guards, obliviously watching the endless bridge ahead of them, paid no attention to the distracting droll, forcing him to single-handedly deal with the situation at hand. What was going on?

The sky was a crystalline blue and the sea a shade that contrasted beautifully with the lush green landscape in front and behind the traveling party; a scene so picturesque that it vaguely reminded him of some novel he had read years ago when he had had the time to do so. There were no clouds within his sight, and hardly a trace of wind, yet the waves tossed and turned as if something was stirring the sea in a cooking pot and thunder rumbled in the distance as if something had shaken the mountains. Beautiful weather with potent side effects were things Oanga typically distrusted.

As the guards and caravan slowly traversed off the bridge, he noticed that the strange noises had subsided some time ago. Turning around to face the cart and place drinking rations inside the vehicle, he was blasted out of place when the caravan suddenly burst into flames, splinters of wood churning in the air and bright orange flames licking up the dry material. Stunned, he lay on the ground helplessly, unable to react and numbed by the explosion, watching hopelessly as two figures ran past his range of vision in the distance.

The criminals had escaped.

* * *

Their steady running pace had gradually slowed into a walk, and physically, Sheena couldn't have been more relieved. Her body ached with weary muscles that were exhausted from overuse without any rest, despite the fact that her mind constantly held its keen edge - no doubt one of the advantages of being raised in Mizuho. It was only around noon; the sun was at its highest in the sky, and although a thin blanket of trees covered the sky above her, the scouring heat of the day pressed downwards upon them.

"What a beautiful day to be outside with my violent demonic banshee!" Zelos stated, casually throwing his arms behind his head as they continued on a perpetual path through the glade. Obviously ignoring the new humidity in the air, most likely caused by the storm she had quickly thrown together with the aid of the summon spirits, the former Chosen placed a ridiculous smile on his face. "If only this day would end with me seeing my hunny in--"

With a fiery slap across his face, his smile faded and his comment dissipated from the air; she had always found it to be the easiest solution to his angering habits.

"We'd probably be safest in Mizuho." She said, desperately hoping that he would agree, for she knew that her patience was spreading thinner by the moment, undoubtedly ready to become a mere shadow of what it normally was. Much to her unspoken relief, he nodded in agreement, running a hand through his bright red hair.

They continued at a decent pace, traversing through the woods and clinging to desperate hopes that nobody would discover them; the only prospect that propelled her forward was the idea of a warm bed in Mizuho and safety for at least one night, despite how dire the circumstance became. After an hour of cutting through thick forest, she became impressed that Zelos had managed not to talk or say anything ridiculously perverted, yet as the thought crossed her mind, she could sense irony fill the air.

"So how is my voluptuous hunny this morning? You've hardly spoken to me all morning, and it must be terribly hard to resist my masculine sexiness."

"I'm fine actually, and not talking to you is definitely a lot easier than trying to." Suspecting he would blow off the comment with incredible accuracy, she didn't turn to face him as he began to speak.

"Harsh words from my favorite hunny." He gave a slight laugh, and Sheena almost smiled, even with the degrading nickname added into his statement. She never really understood if her comments struck him as insulting, but she knew she would feel terrible if they did, despite his lecherous, flirtatious and overly obnoxious behavior.

The day soon faded into evening, and with dusk came the first few shadows tossed about by the rising moon. Only when the pale orb ascended high into the sky did they decide to stop for the night, dropping their packs in a brush covered area, presumably close to the Gaorrachia forest. Satisfied with their progress for the day and slightly uneasy about the coming night near the treacherous woods, Sheena volunteered for the first watch, her hands loosely placed near where her cards were concealed within her outfit. Zelos rolled himself over to a flat patch of ground near a large tree, and within several minutes after he lay down, she could've sworn she heard the steady fall and rise of his breath; a signal to her that he was sound asleep, finally catching up on some needed hours of rest.

Unsure of who may have been searching for them, they had decided it would be in their favor to avoid lighting a fire for the night. Although the people who had organized their arrest may not have been aware of their escape, it was possible that they had sent out extra security that would patrol and scavenge the area for any unnatural sign or trail that led to the two weary travelers. Without the light from a burning fire, Sheena was forced to rely on the steady beams of light cast down by the full moon. Sound traveled rapidly through the forest, and with her body set in a relaxed tension that could explode at any moment, she silently waited for any sign of ominous danger.

...And much to her relief, nothing suspicious approached her for the several hours she was on watch, and Zelos naturally snapped awake several hours later, asking to finish up the night and allow her a quick few hours of sleep. For the first time she didn't mind pushing herself to an unreasonable limit by spending the remainder of the night listening for noises that never occurred, and she gratefully accepted the opportunity to receive a few hours of dreamless sleep. When she awoke however, a throbbing headache convinced her that the sleep was hardly beneficial at all.

Zelos appeared awake, and if he was tired, he didn't show it. With a large smile he began to greet her, but after a small fixed glare in his direction, he instantly quieted down and substituted his sentence with a quick, "Good morning."

A small pain in her stomach made her remember that she hadn't eaten for a long time, but she knew she had been through worse, and she wasn't about to complain anyway. With little left to do, they set off rather quickly, silently fearful of discreet followers hidden in the woods. For the entirety of the morning, she nervously scanned the area, taking carefully allotted time to destroy all traces of their path. By midday when they had reached a small stream relatively closer to the outskirts of the village, she released a sigh of relief.

"How about taking a break?" Zelos peered towards her as she knelt down to the stream and quietly splashed the cool water onto her face. She observed the heavy, dark lines under his eyes, and she nodded her head slowly. As much as she desired to reach Mizuho, they were both exhausted, and undoubtedly needed rest. He plopped down beside her, leaning against a large rock that protruded from the ground and slowly put his hands behind his head. "So why were you in Meltokio the other day? We never really had the chance to talk."

"The king wanted me to be an emissionary of peace."

Zelos chuckled sarcastically. "Well, after all you made such a great emissionary of death."

She glared at him a for a brief moment, in no mood to even attempt coping with his comments. "I'm surprised that you didn't hear about it. It seemed like most of Meltokio was there."

"Why miss an opportunity to party?" His smile slowly faded, and he pensively stared into the woods. "To tell the truth, I've been left out of the loop lately. I haven't been hearing anything interesting, and more importantly, my hunnies have been playing hard to get."

Sheena scoffed. "Of course that's the most important thing anyway- your hunnies have all been leaving you alone. Did you ever consider that they would get sick of hanging around you?"

"How could they get tired of me?" Suddenly a drake clamored through the underbrush, and Sheena leaped to her feet, cards in hand. Zelos was close behind, and she could hear him cursing under his breath as he searched for his sword that he had absent-mindedly set on the ground. The creature wildly hissed at her, and dodging it's swinging tail, she proceeded to strike the animal from behind.

Out of the corner of her vision she noticed another set of wings soar into the clearing, and she quickly spinning herself to face the new opponent, she dodged frantically as another drake through itself at her.

"Zelos!" She shouted above the din of the roaring drakes as they furiously slashed at her. She managed to effectively defeat one of them, however more appeared to be coming. She felt a large claw rip through her back, tearing open her skin and causing her to fall to the ground. Momentarily stunned by the blow, she fearfully watched as the drake raised it's large head upwards in a maddening roar and proceeded to slam itself downwards towards her. Rolling out of the way, she attempted to bounce to her feet but was knocked over as the tail of another drake connected with her body.

Noticing that Zelos had joined the fray, she realized she had an open opportunity to back out of the battle for several moments. Gathering all of her strength to get off of the ground, she crept off behind a large tree. Breathless, she utilized the thick wooden trunk for support.

"Hammer of godly thunder! Volt, get rid of these things!" White lightning filled the woods, illuminating every shadow cast from the canopy of leaves above them. The drakes were eradicated in an instant, causing Zelos to be slightly appalled for he had been inches from one of the creature's sharp claws.

For the rest of the afternoon, they diligently pushed forward, and all though they were both past exhaustion, they vitally comprehended the importance of reaching Mizuho before nightfall. The forest had undoubtedly mutated into an unsafe sanctuary, and although Sheena recognized nearly every nook and cranny of the familiar woods, a dark presence had ominously settled itself over the familiar woods. The wound on her back burned as she pressed forward, and each step brought an uncomfortable sensation throughout her body. Her muscles trembled from overuse, and she desired nothing more than a full night of rest.

Without food or water for nearly 24 hours, dehydration had allowed a massive headache to reverberate through her skull, giving her little opportunity to think and blurring her vision. She vaguely noticed that the sun had began to set, casting an orange glow over the surrounding forest. They continued to blindly stumble through the woods until Sheena spotted the wooden poles that marked the entrance to Mizuho. Mustering all the energy she could, she madly dashed for the entrance, Zelos' pounding footsteps echoing her own.

Her first step into the village, she collapsed, unable to move any further.

* * *

**Silverfox09:** Well, that's about it. Hopefully I'll have the third chapter up in a shorter amount of time then it took for me to put this one online... Please review (and thank you to all of the people who did for last chapter)! Have a nice day everyone! 


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